Walmart: Women Entrepreneurs Matter

Did you know that women-owned businesses are growing at a rate never seen before? The numbers don't lie.

Yesterday on CBS This Morning, our President & CEO Rosalind
Brewer released new data from Sam's Club in collaboration with Gallup
that shows women are 25 percent more likely to be owners of America's
newest microbusinesses -- companies with five or fewer employees -- than
they were 20 years ago. However, an astounding 67 percent still rely on
personal savings for business financing.

It's never been clearer just how much supporting women matters.
And Sam's Club is committed to giving women and all small business
owners the tools they need to succeed. That's why this week, we
announced a $2.5 million grant from the Sam's Club Giving Program to
create The WE Lend Initiative that increases women entrepreneurs' access to financing.

Here's something to celebrate: Despite the challenges of owning a
microbusiness and sometimes working multiple jobs, our survey found that
69% of our respondents say that owning their business is the ideal job.

There's a happiness and optimism among this group that would make our
company founder proud. Sam Walton swam upstream to reach his dreams, and
he inspired leaders within Sam's Club who are passionate about small
business prosperity.

Let's bridge the financing gap and encourage others to join us. It's
time to empower women entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams.